All That Glitters
by Kindle-Feather
Summary: A terrible accident leaves Magpiepaw injured and in the care of a complete stranger. Far from her forest home in the unfamiliar world of Twoleg place, with only the guidance of an aloof loner, Magpiepaw feels like nothing could go right. Despite her expectations Magpiepaw may find that things aren't always what they seem on the surface.
1. Chapter 1

The squirrel was so close Magpiepaw could practically taste it; her paws didn't make a sound as she ghosted across the soft pine needles, this was going to be a perfect catch. She crouched, head low and hind quarters bunched, ready to spring. A hot breeze ruffled her fur bringing with it a scent that definitely wasn't squirrel. A loud roaring sound filled her ears, scaring away the squirrel, turning to the source of the noise the apprentice found herself looking into the bright eyes of a monster.

"Magpiepaw!" She heard her mentor call, but it was too late.

Frozen with terror, the young she cat could only watch as her death sped towards her. Ducking her head she braced herself for the deadly impact, the lights bore down on her; the roaring became unbearably loud.

Then she was flying, a curious feeling of weightlessness filled her small body as she was thrown to the side by the silver beast. The last thing she remembered was the pain as she hit the ground; white-hot fire filled her side as she hit the edge of the thunderpath. Then everything went black.

Magpiepaw woke up wishing she were dead, the pain in her side was almost unbearable. Actually scratch that, she couldn't bear it, why couldn't Starclan have taken her then?

At least she was safe in the Shadowclan medicine den, or that's what she thought. Scenting the air Magpiepaw realized that her current place of residence didn't smell like the Shadowclan medicine den. Instead of dry, musty herbs she could smell wet stone and a faint scent of decay.

Maybe they couldn't get me as far as camp and decided to put me in the abandoned twoleg nest instead? The theory sounded plausible, after all the twoleg nest was close to the thunderpath than the camp. Opening her eyes to see if any of her clanmates were around, hopefully with some food and water, she found that Starclan had decided to be mean today.

Wherever she was it certainly wasn't in Shadowclan territory, or anyplace she was aware of at all. She was lying in a nest of dirty twoleg pelts inside a box of some kind. From what she could see through the opening of said box she guessed that she was in twoleg place. Pushing herself up so as to gain a better idea of her whereabouts Magpiepaw felt intense pain lance through her side, forcing her back down into her nest.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Magpiepaw turned to face the entrance of the box, at the end of the alley stood a cat. The cat was nothing but a dark silhouette in the mouth of the alley, the Shadowclan apprentice could see a pair of green eyes glowing in the dark.

"Who, who are you?" Magpiepaw stuttered as the stranger approached.

"I'm Mittens, welcome to my alley." The she cat, Mittens, had reached the box now.

Magpiepaw could now make out that Mitten's had a black and white pelt, much like her own but with more black than white.

"I'm Magpiepaw. Where am I?" The younger she cat asked.

"Magpiepaw? What kind of a name is that? Seems like a bit of a mouthful, please tell me you have a nickname."

"Where I come from Magpiepaw is a perfectly normal name, a very nice one in fact. Also you haven't answered my question."

"You're in an alley, in the city, not much else to tell." Mittens said, sitting down by the box.

"Do you know the way back to the forest?"

"Of course I do, how do you think I got you here?"

"Can you take me back there?"

"Yes, also a little gratitude would be appreciated considering I saved your sorry life."

"Sure, thanks, can we go? I'd like to get home as soon as possible." Magpiepaw said, once again attempting to rise.  
"No can do Magpie." Mittens shrugged, watching the younger she cat wince in pain and lie back down. "You're in no condition to walk two steps, let alone go all the way to the forest."

"My name isn't Magpie, it's Magpiepaw. It's a warrior's name, though I suppose a loner like you wouldn't understand that." The Shadowclan apprentice growled, her coat fluffing out.

"I may be just a loner but you are currently in my alley under my roof, I make the rules here. Understood? I couldn't care less about your warrior names and your clan pride, right now you are going to stay here and rest." Mittens countered, her voice cold and authoritative.

"Fine, I'll play by your rules." Magpiepaw muttered. "Now about me going home..."

"Like I said you can't travel right now, you're going to have to wait until your wounds heal before I can take you home. From what I can tell that'll be at least another moon, assuming you don't do anything stupid."

"A moon? I can't wait that long, what about my friends, my family? I was about to become a warrior, I want to go home now!" Magpiepaw wailed.

"Look, I'd love to send you back where you came from but I can't. You're severely injured and frankly it's a miracle you survived at all. I'm taking you in out of the kindness of my heart, I could easily have left you in that ditch to die, but I didn't. Instead I carried you all the way to my box in my alley, I've given you the best medical care I could. I'm prepared to share my hard earned food and water with you even though I have barely enough for myself. So shut up and be grateful or I might not feel so charitable!" Mittens growled, nose to nose with Magpiepaw.

Magpiepaw shrank back from the angry she cat, huddling in the corner of the box, her injuries forgotten. Mittens turned and padded out of the alley and beyond Magpiepaw's field of vision.

Turning around as best she could the apprentice put her head on her paws and allowed comforting blackness to take her once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Feathers here, I figured out how to put in an authors note, hooray!** **As I'm sure you noticed this is the second chapter of All That Glitters, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **First, a response to my first (and only)** **review.**

 **MeowMix1028 - Thank you so much! I'm really excited to be writing Downstream, it has such a wonderful premise!**

Magpiepaw woke to the smell of mouse; opening her eyes she could see a small gray body in front of her nose. Gritting her teeth the black and white she cat dragged herself into a sloppy sitting position, ignoring the sharp flashes of pain that the motion caused.

Leaning down Magpiepaw took a large bite of the mouse, allowing the flavor to fill her mouth before swallowing it and taking another bite. She had wolfed down half of the prey before she realized that Mittens must have brought it for her. She paused, looking around of any sign that the loner was still near by. Seeing none Magpiepaw went back to eating, carefully licking all traces of the delicious meal off her paws and muzzle when she was done.

Realizing that her fur was in complete disarray the apprentice began to wash her pelt, taking extra care with the white patches, just like her mother always said. A small sigh escaped her at the memory of Willowflower teaching Magpiepaw and her siblings how to wash their coats.

It was a warm Newleaf day and the Shadowclan camp was filled with sunshine, the sound of birdsong and rustling leaves filled the air. Sitting in a patch of sun, Willowflower had her three kits lined up in a row in front of her. The pretty gray queen was slowly licking one paw and rubbing her face with it; the kits were copying with varying levels of success. The first kit, a pretty gray she cat like her mother was neatly cleaning her face in a near perfect imitation. The middle kit, this time a dark gray tabby tom, had gotten distracted by a falling leaf and was batting at it instead. The final kit, a scruffy white and black she cat, was doing her best to copy her mother but only just brushing the ends of her fur and rendering the action somewhat ineffective.

Willowflower was doing her best encourage her kits. "Very nice Dovekit, don't forget to wash your ears though. Thrushkit! Stop playing and pay attention, this is important. Remember Magpiekit; you have to clean the white spots extra thoroughly because they get dirty more easily."

"Why is keeping our fur clean important?" Thrushkit groaned.

"Keeping clean is very important, how can you hold your head up high if your fur is messy? What would other clans think of Shadowclan if they saw you with your coat in such a state? You see little one, we are proud to be warriors, proud to be Shadowclan. We must be sure that we are the best we can be to show how great Shadowclan is and that means washing your fur." Willowflower answered gently.

The three kits gazed up at her, eyes wide at the talk of pride and honor, images of proud warriors flashing trough their minds, warriors with perfectly groomed coats of course.

Magpiepaw purred softly at her kit self, how grand it had sounded, tales of great warriors and fierce battles. _Now look at me, an apprentice who has to be taken care of by a loner._ Magpiepaw thought sadly, gazing down at her paws, homesickness welling up inside her. What she wouldn't give to be training with her friends or racing across the territory or even searching the elders for ticks. Anything just to be home again, back under the shade of the pine trees surrounded by the familiar scents of the forest, knowing that her clan wasn't far away.

 _Well, all this moping and self-pity isn't helping you get home, no use sitting here doing nothing. Get up and do something for Starclan's sake._ The sharp voice of Magpiepaw's mentor, Aspenpelt, rang through her head. With an effort the black and white she cat stood, shaking her head to clear the spots dancing in front of her eyes. Gritting her teeth against the pain flaring through her side and legs Magpiepaw carefully took a few small steps forward, bringing herself out of the box and into the alley.

The alley wasn't much to look at; it was made of cold gray stones with damp, slimy moss creeping across them. There was a fragment of blue sky above and a few slivers of sunshine that had made their way into the alley. Despite that the backstreet was chilly and cast in shadow, Magpiepaw shivered as the cold made it's way through her thick pelt.

Opening her jaws to scent the air the small she cat padded forward to the mouth of the alley. Staring out at the strange landscape before her she felt another pang of homesickness. She allowed her gaze to roam across the tops of the buildings until she spotted treetops; her heart sank. The forest was so far away, how was she ever going to get home?

 _By walking, honestly Magpiepaw, you'd think you could figure that out on your own. You have a brain don't you? Use it!_ Aspenpelt's voice rang in her ears; she smiled sadly at the familiar scolding tone.

Squaring her slim shoulders the black spotted apprentice set her gaze towards the forest and took a step forward. She hissed in pain as the abrupt motion jolted her injured leg and side, blinking away the tears of pain Magpiepaw sat down. She'd only made it a couple of fox lengths; she could never walk home with these injuries, her ears flattened against her head.

 _Maybe Mittens was right? Maybe you should wait until your injuries are healed?_ A small voice in her head reasoned.

Shaking her head the small she cat growled at the thought. "I can't wait an entire moon to go home, everyone probably thinks I'm dead, I can't keep them worrying like that." She said aloud, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Yeah well you're going to have to, you can't walk, as I'm sure you've noticed. You are going to rest and heal, then you can go gallivanting off on your warrior adventures." Magpiepaw whipped her head around to see Mittens standing in the shadow of a building, something leafy clasped in her jaws.

"Don't do that! You scared me out of my fur! Anyway, I can't wait a moon, my clan will be worried about me." The apprentice yelped.

"Look Magpie, you can wait and I will make you if I have to. You can afford to be away from your precious clan for a moon and a half." Mittens growled, brushing by the younger she cat.

"A moon and a half? You said a moon!" Magpiepaw said, surprised and rather upset at the loner.

"No, I said a moon, if you don't do anything stupid. This my friend, counts as stupid."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! It's Feathers again, here's the new chapter of Glitter, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Sadly I have no reviews to respond to this time so I guess I'll just get on with the story. *wipes away** **tears***

Mittens didn't understand. How could anyone be so thick-skinned? She'd told the kit again and again that she was badly injured but would she listen? Of course not!

Looking down at the fluffy black patched she cat in the box the loner shook her head. Young cats had no common sense; she didn't give up even though she must have been in excruciating pain. Speaking of which, Mittens peered down at the long gashes that marked the small she cat's side and legs. The newly formed scabs had cracked during the little idiot's foray down the alley and there was a thin film of blood on each of them.

 _I hope these don't get infected,_ Mittens thought, her forehead creasing with worry at the thought. She could deal with open, fresh wounds but infections? Not something she could treat, she'd never been taught anything more advanced than stopping the blood and inducing a scab to form. She sniffed each gash in turn, checking for the foul scent of infection, wrinkling her nose at the metallic smell of blood. Once the check was completed the black and white loner sat back, heaving a sigh of relief. _At least that's one problem I don't have to deal with, yet._

Getting to her paws Mittens made her way over to a crevice in the wall that contained a few leaves and wilted blossoms. Pulling the necessary plants from crack she began carefully chewing them into a paste, just as she'd been taught.

Making sure that Magpie was still asleep the alley cat crept up to her prone form and began gently pressing the herbs onto the wounds. Once the paste had been applied Mittens leaped onto the stone wall at the end of the backstreet to sit guard.

It was a beautiful clear night, the moon was nearly full and there were no clouds to cover the stars. Looking back down at the sleeping she cat in the alley Mittens couldn't help but purr softly. The kit was sprawled out on her uninjured side, a tangle of long limbs and fluffy tail.

Why had Mittens taken her in? She didn't quite know the answer; Magpie would be nothing but a burden for a moon and a half. She couldn't hunt or fight; she could barely move for crying out loud, let alone defend the alley. She was helpless.

Helpless, that was the reason why, because she'd looked so small and helpless. Mittens remembered the moment she'd seen the black and white she cat lying by the road.

She was padding along in search of some new bedding; the last batch was just a pile of rags. She'd found some scraps of cloth and moss as she walked but nothing satisfactory. As she was about to head home in defeat she heard noise up ahead, someone shouting and then a scream.

Her search forgotten Mittens raced toward the source of the commotion, she got there just in time to see a small black and white form flying through the air. The cat landed with a sickening thump in a ditch by the road. From the opposite side of the road she could hear worried voices and someone began to wail.

"Where is she?" One voice asked.

"Do you see her? Did the monster take her away?" Another said, Mittens had no idea what a 'monster' was, maybe a car?

"I don't know, it must have, she's not there." Mittens realized that from where they were standing the cats wouldn't have seen the cat being thrown to the side.

"Come on, we should head back to camp, we need to tell the clan what happened." Another cat said, the words were followed by various agreements and the sound of pawsteps heading back into the forest.

Mittens looked down into the ditch, in it lay the crumpled body of a white she cat with black patches. Her coat was bloody and Mittens could see deep cuts and scrapes from where the car had hit the she cat. A slight motion caught the loner's eye, she looked down at the cat's chest and found that miraculously it was rising and falling.

Mittens carefully took the young cat's scruff in her teeth, doing her best not to jostle the she cat too much. The tuxedo she cat was surprised at how light the cat was, and on closer inspection how young she was. The she cat was barely out of kithood, her coat still fluffy and soft.

Adjusting her hold on the little cat's scruff Mittens began to walk home, mercifully the she cat stayed unconscious throughout the entire journey.

And now, well now Mittens had to care for an irresponsible, impatient kit who wouldn't listen to anything resembling sense. _Just a moon and a half, it'll go quickly_ , the older she cat told herself, _just be patient Mittens_.

Magpie was young and strong and her wounds had scabbed over pretty quickly, maybe she'd heal faster than Mittens had expected? When she was able to walk again she'd be able to pull her weight around the alley, she could probably do basic chores. Nothing too difficult like hunting or fighting, though it would be a hard task to keep from engaging in either activity should the opportunity present itself. For someone so small Magpie had a lot of guts, determination and very selective hearing, the kind that tuned out advice and warnings.

 _I can probably get her to stay in the alley if I have keep watch, it's safe and I can probably convince her that it's important,_ Mittens thought, looking down at the sleeping she cat.

The kit cried out softly, batting at nothing, deep in the clutches of some nightmare. Leaping down from the wall Mittens nudged the other cat over until there was room for her in the box. Settling in beside the fluffy kit Mittens curled her tail around them both, gently cradling the thrashing she cat.

Mittens began to purr deep in her chest, the way her mother had when she and her siblings couldn't sleep. Magpie stopped mewling and lay still, calmed by the vibrations of Mittens' purring. The loner only ceased her purring when the fluffy she cat began to snore lightly. With a final, soft purr Mittens laid her head down and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello readers and welcome back to All That Glitters, sorry about the gap between updates, I took a break for the holidays.**

 **Response to my only review:**

 **Fuzzycloud (Guest) - Thank you for your review, it was really nice. I'm glad you like this story so much and the fact that you think the character's interactions are realistic makes me really happy, that was one of my goals for this story.**

 **And without further ado I give you: Chapter four of All That Glitters!**

Magpiepaw woke to the sound of raised voices, it sounded like Mittens was arguing with someone at the far end of the alley.

"I've told you time and time again, I don't want you coming near my alley anymore!" Mittens meowed, from what Magpiepaw could guess she was trying to keep her temper.

"I just don't see why Mitzy, we used to be such good friends." The speaker had a lazy, almost playful, drawl.

"Don't call me Mitzy, my name is Mittens and you know it." Mittens corrected, from the sound of it she was speaking through gritted teeth. "Now please leave, I have better things to do than talk to you."

"Have it your way Mitzy. I'll be around if you change your mind, you know where to find me!" The mysterious tom's parting words were mingled with the sound of retreating pawsteps.

Mittens soon appeared at the entrance to the box, a look of irritation still occupying her white muzzle.

"Hi Mittens." Magpiepaw greeted the black and white loner.

"Hello Magpie, nice to see you awake." Mittens replied, joining the apprentice inside the box, a tight squeeze due tot he small size of the cardboard container.

"I'm just going to check your injuries, you look healthy but you aren't out of the woods yet." Mittens said, a reproachful note in her voice.

Magpiepaw tried not to flinch as the older she cat sniffed the still painful gashes in her side. Mittens growled slightly as the little she cat fidgeted under her examining nose.

"Well, I'd prefer to be in the woods, the ones back home." Magpiepaw said, attempting to lighten the mood with a joke.

Mittens looked at her, decidedly unimpressed and somewhat disapproving, "this isn't a joke, you are seriously injured and you should understand that." She scolded.

"Sorry." Magpiepaw apologized, looking down at her paws and hoping Mittens didn't notice her scarlet ear tips.

An awkward silence filled the box as Mittens finished examining Magpiepaw's wounds until she finally raised her head.

"Well, I have good news for you kit, you're healing vey nicely and I think you'll be able to sit up without doing any damage. That doesn't mean you can go running off to the forest now, you still have a while to go before then but you can walk short distances." Mittens said, Magpiepaw did her best to contain her excitement and failed miserably.

"Yes!" She cheered, leaping to her paws and hissing in pain as the sudden motion caused her gashes to flare with pain.

"Once again, don't do anything reckless or you'll be spending extra time here, understand?" Mittens asked, fixing the jubilant apprentice in a stern glare.

"Yes Mittens, I understand. Can I go to the end of the alley now?" The small she cat asked hopefully, knowing she sounded like a kit but unable to care about something like that.

It was almost funny, she'd once been able to run through the pine groves and dense woods of Shadowclan territory and now she was excited about walking a few steps. She knew there was so much more beyond the dingy backstreet the pair occupied but she was so desperate for a change of scenery that it would have to do.

"Alright, but I'm going with you and if the wounds start hurting again you have to tell me, deal?"

"Deal!" Magpiepaw agreed, she would have bounced ahead of the tuxedo loner but her legs were stiff from inactivity.

The pair started off down the alley, Magpiepaw hobbling along like an elder in Leafbare and Mittens padding evenly at her side offering support when needed.

"Hey Mittens, who were you talking to earlier?" Magpiepaw asked, reminded by an unfamiliar scent she assumed belonged to the stranger.

"You heard that?" Mittens asked, whirling around to face the apprentice; who wobbled at the sudden loss of her crutch, anger sparking in her green eyes.

"Just the end of it, I was just curious." Magpiepaw said, stepping away from the angry she cat.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you." Mittens apologized, backing away fro the black patched she cat. "As for that tom, he's just another cat who lives around here, we don't get along very well."

Magpiepaw guessed that she wouldn't get much more out of the loner and decided to switch to a safer topic.

"When do you think I'll be able to hunt? I hate loafing around and eating your food and not doing anything in return." Magpiepaw said, her health was a nice, safe thing to talk about and she was genuinely curious.

"Not for a little while but it isn't far off, it'll be nice when you can hunt for yourself instead of me having do twice the work I usually do with no extra gain." Mittens grumbled.

By then they had reached the mouth of the alley, Magpiepaw found that, despite the short distance, she was rather out of breath and sat down on the cold stones. Mittens gave her a knowing look and beckoned the apprentice over to a puddle of rainwater with her white tipped tail. Magpiepaw shot the loner a grateful look before plunging her muzzle into the cool water, quenching a thirst she hadn't been aware of previously.

Having drunk her fill the white and black she cat sat up and surveyed the view from the mouth of the alley. The area directly in front of her wasn't much to look at, just some tumbled down twoleg nests, but beyond that was the incredible view she remembered from her first foray down the alley. Spread out before her was a sea of red-roofed twoleg nests stretching for what seemed like miles before giving way to the distant forest.

Mittens purred with amusement at the apprentice's open mouth, gently flicking Magpiepaw's chin with her tail, "close your mouth, you'll catch flies." She said with a laugh, Magpiepaw snapped her mouth shut with an audible click.

"Well I did want to hunt!" The black spotted she cat joked timidly, the frosty reception of her last joke still fresh in her mind.

She was delighted to hear Mittens laugh again, a clear pealing sound that seemed to ring out across the endless sea of twoleg nests. Magpiepaw found herself idly wondering if her clan would hear her if she called loud enough.

"Magpie? Earth to Magpie!" Mittens called in her ear, waving her tail in front of the apprentice's vacant face.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." Magpiepaw apologized, waiting for a reprimand from the black and white she cat.

To her surprise the she cat responded in kinder tone than she'd expected, "No need to apologize for thinking, what were you thinking about?" She asked.

Magpiepaw felt her face grow warm and she dipped her gaze to her paws, "nothing, it's silly." She muttered.

"I'm sure it isn't, tell me, I promise not to make fun of you." Mittens pressed.

Ducking her head, Magpiepaw confessed her thoughts, "I was wondering if my clan could hear me if I yelled really loud."

Mittens, true to her word, did not make fun of the apprentice; instead she burst out laughing, soon joined by Magpiepaw's own good-natured laughter.

The two she cats sat together, laughing and talking for quite a while before they headed back to the box at he end of the alley.


	5. Chapter 5

**Aaaaand, We're back! Sorry for the wait I've been kind of busy lately so I haven't had much time to write. I just want to respond to my lovely reviews and then I'll get on with the story.**

 **MeowMix1028: Hope you like this chapter as well! Also, I did get a cover! My friend drew if and I'm hoping she'll do some cover art for Downstream as well.**

 **Medicine Cat of The Opera: Hey Clover! I'm glad you think Magpie is funny; I want the readers to like her so I gave her a sense of humor.**

 **Pikawarrorcat (Guest): Thanks! I'll definitely keep working.**

 **Fuzzycloud (Guest): I'm glad you like the character, I was a little tentative about bringing him into the story but I think he'll be a good plot device.**

 **That's all the reviews for today, a record number for this story though! Now, on with the story!**

* * *

Magpiepaw sat patiently with her tail curled neatly around her paws, listening as Mittens went over her instructions one last time.

"Don't leave the alley unless you are in direct danger, you know where to hide in that event, right?" She asked, poised to show Magpiepaw the escape route.

"I've got it!" Magpiepaw interrupted quickly, she'd been listening to the same set of instructions for what seemed like seasons.

"Alright." Mittens said, casting a shrewd look at the younger cat. "You can walk around in the alley but go straight back to the box if your injuries start to hurt again. I've left some food and you can probably see the puddles, so you should be okay on those fronts." The loner paused, trying to think if there was anything she was forgetting.

"It's fine! You're not going to be gone that long, I can take care of myself for a Sunfall." Magpiepaw encouraged, doing her best to hurry Mittens along.

"Yeah, because you've always been a model of common sense and responsibility." Mittens reminded in a reproachful tone, Magpiepaw blushed under the loner's narrowed green gaze.

"I'll be better this time, I promise, you can trust me!" Magpiepaw offered hopefully, waiting for Mittens to respond.

"Fine, I'll trust you but I expect you to be sensible." Mittens finally said, her eyes sweeping over the alleyway one last time before landing on Magpiepaw's eager face.

"Go!" Magpiepaw said, pushing the older cat towards the mouth of the alley.

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" Mittens cried, half laughing and half exasperated, she paused as she reached the end of the alley and looked back. "Take care yourself, okay?" She called over her shoulder, casting a soft look at Magpiepaw.

"Bye!" Magpiepaw called back, also laughing, she turned her back on Mittens and waved her tail in farewell.

Out of the corner of her eye Magpiepaw watched Mittens shake her head, an amused smile on her snowy muzzle, then pad off and out of sight. Magpiepaw watched the mouth of the alley for a few heartbeats longer to make sure Mittens wouldn't come back to remind her where the puddles were.

It wasn't long before she got bored and made her way back to the box. Her wounds almost never hurt when she walked now and she was extremely glad that she could now move around without experiencing intense pain.

The white and black she cat sat down and began to wash her pelt allowing her mind to wander. It flitted among many topics, between tails and tales and other things, finally it drifted on to something she hadn't though about recently. Blowing off the cobwebs and dust that had settled on the thought she found her life in Shadowclan once more in the forefront of her mind.

The particular memory was one of a peaceful; sunlight camp, she and her siblings were playing with a feather their father had brought them. Dovekit had batted the scrap of down towards Magpiepaw's younger self and Magpiekit stretched up to hit it with her paw.

Magpiepaw unconsciously mirrored her kit self's action, reaching up with her paw towards a feather that wasn't there. The idyllic memory shattered as the fluffy she cat's reaching paw made contact with the stone wall. She gave a cry of pain and jerked back, nursing her bruised paw and glaring at the wall as though it had hurt her intentionally.

"Do you often attack walls?" An oddly familiar voice drawled from somewhere above Magpiepaw.

"No I do not, thank you very much." Magpiepaw answered, trying to hide her embarrassment from the stranger by inspecting her paw.

"Could have fooled me Sweetheart, anyway, what's a little kitty like you doing in an alley alone?" The tom asked, leaping off the wall and stalking his way over to Magpiepaw, winding around her.

"I live here and I would suggest you keep your distance." Magpiepaw growled, directing an icy glare that would have made Mittens proud at the tom.

"Why what are you going to do about it? Snuggle me to death?" The tom laughed, flicking his tail under Magpiepaw's chin.

"I'm warning you, stay away from me or I will make you." Magpiepaw responded coldly, swiping his tail away from her face.

"Well, I always ignore warnings anyway. You wouldn't hurt me, would you Sweetheart? You're just a kit." The tom purred, infuriatingly self-assured.

"Just a kit huh? Well, even kit's have claws!" Magpiepaw yowled, swiping her unsheathed claws across the tom's face.

The tom leaped back, instinctively placing a paw to his cheek where she'd her claws had cut into his fur. His pad came back smeared with blood and he stared at it for a second, seemingly marveling at the crimson liquid.

"You certainly do, don't you!" He said, his confidence already returning.

"Well done, you got the right answer!" Magpiepaw mewed sarcastically allowing her ivory claws flash in the light as she cleaned them of blood. "And if you don't want to see any more of them I suggest you leave now."

"All right, calm down Sweetheart, I'm going." The tom called turning to leave, he paused after only a couple of steps and Magpiepaw gave a warning hiss. "Hold on, I just wanted to ask you a question, then I promise I'll go." He said, holding up a placating paw.

"Fine, ask your question." Magpiepaw said, sitting down and curling her tail around her paws.

"What happened to Mitzy?" The tom asked and Magpiepaw's ears pricked up as she recalled where she'd heard the voice from before.

This was the tom she'd heard Mittens arguing with a couple sunrises ago, she realized he was waiting for an answer and considered the question.

"She's gone to out for a while, I'm in charge for now." Magpiepaw answered looking the tom firmly in the eye as she spoke.

"Huh, so Mitzy has a kit now? Wonder how that happened." The tom said thoughtfully, he looked curiously at Magpiepaw as though sizing her up.

"I'm not her kit, I'm just staying with her for a while." Magpiepaw corrected quickly.

"That makes sense, I'd be surprised after what happened." He said, Magpiepaw caught a flash of something in his eyes, some emotion that disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared.

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, her eyes shining with the curiosity of youth.

"She hasn't told you?" He asked, sounding as though he was half lost in some memory of past days.

"Told me what?" Magpiepaw asked, frustrated by the lack of answers.

"That's not for me to tell, their Mitzy's secrets after all." He said, before turning away and sauntering off down the alley, with all of his previous swagger. He flicked his tail and called over his shoulder as he turned the corner. "Ta-ta!"

Magpiepaw stared at the spot where he had disappeared, wavering between obeying Mittens and getting answers. Making her decision she rose to her paws and took off after him as fast as her injuries would allow.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think of the new character and this chapter in general, feedback is always welcome!**

 **Question of the Day: How do you imagine The Mysterious Tom? What does he look like? What's his back story?**

 **With that I leave you!**

 **~ Feathers**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my lovely readers! Before we get on with the reviews, and eventually the story, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who answered the question of the day, you all had such wonderful ideas!**

 **Swirlspot: You had the closest guess of all, in fact you are absolutely right, have a cookie! (::)**

 **Fuzzycloud (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter!**

 **Blurg the Destroyer: She certainly isn't happy, behold the Wrath of Mittens!**

 **Medicine cat of the Opera: Oh, bad things will happen... *Rubs hands** **evilly***

 **KittySparkFrost: You are pretty much correct, nice guesses!**

 **Meowmix1028: I really liked your description for the mystery tom, I may or may not steal it.**

Mittens trotted cheerfully towards the alley, her hunt had been successful and she was in a good mood. As she turned the corner into the dingy backstreet that she'd come to call home she called out a greeting.

"Magpie! I'm back!" Her words, muffled by the mice she was carrying, were met with no response.

Her pelt prickling with worry Mittens advanced along the alley, ignoring the growing feeling of unease at the silence. _It's fine, she's probably just asleep,_ the she cat thought, consciously brushing aside the fact that it was midday and Magpie hated naps.

She padded up to the box and hesitated, not wanting to find out what was inside, or rather, what wasn't.

 _Stop being ridiculous, she'll be inside the box, sleeping the day away._ Mittens told herself, taking a deep breath she poked her head under the overhanging flaps of the box.

Despite the fact she'd suspected that Magpie wouldn't be there it was still a shock when Mittens found the box to be empty. She sat back on her haunches and shook her head; _I should have known she'd do something stupid, I shouldn't have left her alone._ Mittens thought, jumping back to her paws and turning towards the entrance to the alley.

As she started down the alley the loner stopped and turned back, her eyes caught on the pair of mice, lying discarded on the stones. Skidding back Mittens hastily tucked them behind the box for when she returned, she set off again, breaking into a sprint as she left the alley.

Taking a deep breath she carefully picked Magpie's scent out of the tangle of smells that filled her jaws. She began following the scent, out of the alley, racing around corners and under bridges.

As she ran she became aware of something, something unsettling that made her spine prickle and her breath come faster. The path she was following was the same path she'd run a thousand times before. Taking a deep breath she found another scent she'd missed in her panic, a scent as familiar as her own.

 _Of course he had to get mixed up in this, I should have known,_ She sighed as she came to a crumbling brick wall. She skidded to a stop and took a heartbeat to inspect her surroundings; it was much the same as she remembered but everything seemed to be a little worse for wear. The walls looked a little older, the street looked a little grimier and, as she jumped to the top of the wall she found the same was true for the interior as well. The garden was overgrown, the once neatly groomed lawn was a tangle of long grass, the flowerbeds were choked with weeds and the fishpond was dark with mud.

 _Has it really been that long?_ She wondered as she padded carefully along the unkempt paths, her mission all but forgotten as she moved deeper into the walled garden.

In this dream-like state she wandered into a small hedged off area, within the once cleanly trimmed and shaped hedges lay the remains of a rose garden. The plants had grown wild and bore more thorns than blossoms; the few flowers that remained were pale and sickly. Somewhere within the tangle of briars a fountain could be heard, a solitary trickling sound.

Mittens pricked her ears as another sound drifted by on the wind, voices, and not just any voices. She peered through the branches of a particularly tangled bush and saw Magpie sitting next to a mottled ginger and red tom on a rotting bench.

At the sight of them, locked deep in conversation, a spark of anger ignited in her chest and stalked through the bushes, her green eyes blazing.

"Magpie! What do you think you're doing here?" She hissed as soon as she was within clear earshot of the pair.

The fluffy she cat looked up, surprise and guilt warring on her face, she lowered her eyes and scuffed a paw against the wooden slats of the bench.

"I'm sorry Mittens, please don't be mad." She squeaked, lifting her eyes hopefully to gauge Mittens' reaction.

"I'll deal with you later, as for you!" She growled, turning to the tom. "I told you to stay away from me, all you are is trouble!" She yowled, her voice breaking slightly as he held her gaze.

"Mitzy I..." He began but she cut him off before he could finish.

"I don't ever want to see you again, and for the last time; my name is Mittens, Mitzy is dead, she died the night of the fire, along with anything I ever felt for you. You are nothing to me." She said quietly, turning around and calling Magpie to her side with a flick of her white-tipped tail.

The walk home was completely silent, Mittens all but running and Magpie struggling to keep up with the older, fitter she cat.

Upon reaching the alley, Mittens turned to Magpie, who cowered under the loner's cold gaze.

"Mittens, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." Magpie began, hoping she could appease the tuxedo she cat before the yelling started.

"You're sorry, you didn't mean to, of course you are!" Mittens yelled, taking a step towards Magpie, the white and black she cat shrank back even further. "You didn't mean to run off, to directly disobey my orders and go back on your promises, to betray the trust I placed in you. Sure, you didn't mean to, you know what else you didn't do? You didn't think, you didn't think about how this might affect you, how running around the city after some stranger might get you hurt. Yeah, you didn't think but that isn't much of a surprise, is it?" She stopped for breath, panting, and Magpie took the pause to make another plea for forgiveness.

"Mittens, please, I'm sorry." She sobbed, tears running down her cheeks and soaking her fur.

Mitten silenced her with another icy glare, "you're sorry? You didn't mean any harm? Well you should have thought of that before you went running off! How do you think I felt when I realized you weren't there? I was sick out of my mind with worry, I drop everything to go look for you and what do I find? I find that you've been making a social call! You've been nothing but trouble for me, I should have left you to die by the highway." She finished, as her tirade came to an end the deafening silence was broken only by Magpie's sobs.

Whirling around Mittens stalked out of the alley, as she disappeared into the gathering dusk she didn't look back.

* * *

 **QOTD: What would you name a Riverclan tom with dark silver fur and blue eyes? (I need help naming a character for a new story)**

 **Until next time my dear readers!**

 **~ Feathers**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my lovely readers, I'm back with the net chapter of Glitter! Cookies to everyone who reviewed, followed or faved and thank you to everyone who answered the QOTD.**

 **MeowMix1028: Poor Mittens indeed *laughs evilly*, don't worry Magpie's going to get what's coming to her soon, very soon.**

 **Pikawarriorcat (Guest): She was a bit harsh wasn't she? Oh well, Magpie deserved it.**

 **Swirlspot: I'm both intrigued and terrified by these hypotheses...**

 **Crazy Fennec Fox: I'm gad you think so, good characters have alway been very important to me!**

 **And now the story:**

* * *

Magpiepaw huddled in her box, it was raining outside and the cold was seeping through the thin walls and chilling the little she cat to the bone.

She didn't remember falling asleep the night before; she must have cried herself to sleep after Mittens left. Looking out into the pouring rain she felt twinge of worry in her heart, _I hope Mittens found somewhere safe to stay the night_ , she thought, resting her head on her crossed paws.

Once again she found her mind returning to the deep pine forests, prey-rich marshes and shining lake of her home. _Maybe it's time for me to go back, Mittens doesn't want to see me again and I'm almost completely healed,_ she thought, for the first time in what seemed like ages considering the possibility of returning home.

 _Home, is that what Shadowclan is?_ She wondered, a thin tendril of doubt creeping into her heart. Shaking her head as though she could physically rid the thought from herself she dismissed the idea, _of course Shadowclan is my home and I'm going back tonight._

Her mind made up Magpiepaw stood up and looked, shivering, out at the rain that continued to pour relentlessly from the sky, obscuring all but near objects. Not the ideal weather for traveling, _anyway, it's getting dark,_ Magpiepaw reasoned, ignoring the fact that she, as a Shadowclan cat, had particularly good night vision. _I'll start as soon as the rain stops._ She thought, turning away from the rain so she was facing into the depths of the box.

 _I guess I should rest up, I don't know how long the journey will be and I don't want to be hungry on my way._ She thought, sniffing around the corners for the prey she seemed to remember dragging inside after the rain started.

She finally found a scrawny mouse in a far corner, along with a small pool of rainwater and a hole in the box. Dragging the soggy piece of prey closer Magpiepaw took a half-hearted bite, grimacing at the waterlogged texture.

One she'd finished the mouse, having done her best to ignore the cold, slippery feeling of it's wet fur, Magpiepaw curled up in her usual corner. Stinging drops of icy rain set her to her paws with a meow of displeasure; shaking out her pelt she dragged the pile of rags over to the opposite corner where Mittens usually slept. Feeling oddly guilty the fluffy she cat lay back down, trying to ignore the unspoken taboo on snooping in Mittens' corner.

Turning her back to the mouth of the box and the storm still raging outside Magpiepaw snuggled down as best she could. As she tucked her nose into the corner she felt it ouch something soft, inspecting the soft things she found three tufts of what appeared to be fur. Tugging them gently out of their hiding place Magpiepaw looked at them, one was black, another tortoiseshell and the third bright ginger.

She puzzled over them for a time, unable to figure out what they were; at last she shrugged and gave up. Nudging back into place she curled up and tucked her tail over her nose, drifting into darkness.

* * *

When Magpiepaw woke again the rain had lessened, though not all together stopped, much to her chagrin. _I should probably leave now; it's cleared up enough to travel safely,_ she thought, stepping out into the rain soaked morning.

Noticing the remaining scraps of her mouse from the night before lying, forgotten in a corner she padded back. As she took the remains out of the box to bury them in back of the alley a though occurred to her. _I should probably catch something to replace that mouse; I'll just catch another mouse and then I'll go._ She told herself, ignoring the ever more noticeable fact that she was putting off leaving.

Leaving the alley she started for the nearby side street that the two she cats used for hunting. The mouse wasn't hard to find, she noticed it almost instantly upon entering the small street. While it wasn't plump it would do nicely for a meal and Magpiepaw felt rather proud of her find.

Placing her paws gently down with claws sheathed so they wouldn't scrape on the stone, a trick Mittens had taught her, Magpiepaw glided up to the rodent and readied herself to spring. A single leap brought her to the mouse and she trapped it between her paws, a swift bite to the back of its neck finished the job. Sitting up Magpiepaw inspected her catch, a nice clean kill that would make any warrior proud, if she did say so herself.

Picking it up she returned to the alley, following the familiar path she had walked what felt like a thousand times before. Dropping the mouse inside the box she began to leave then went back to fix the bedding. That done she finally padded slowly up the alley, savoring the feeling of stone beneath her paws.

She reached the opening at the end of the alley and paused; turning back she took a last look around the alley that had been her home for almost two moons.

She felt a pang of sadness in her heart; it was a dump in comparison to Shadowclan camp but she still felt a certain affection for the place.

 _I belong in Shadowclan,_ she reminded herself, with that thought held firmly in her mind she set off at a run, ignoring the oddly salty raindrops that dripped down her muzzle.

 **And so concludes another chapter, hopefully you guys enjoyed this, let me know what you thought and don't forget to fave and follow!**

 **QOTD: Do you think Magpiepaw should go back to Shadowclan?**

 **AOTD (I've gotten a couple of questions so I'm answering them here): Magpiepaw is roughly nine moons but she's small for her age and has fluffy kit-like fur, she could theoretically be mistaken for a kit. Mittens calling her 'kit' is both more of pet-name, though.**

 **~ Feathers**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello my lovely readers, welcome back to All That Glitters, big thank you to everyone who** **reviewed, followed or favorited!**

 **Swirlspot - I'm not sure whether you're clairvoyant or if this story is extremely predictable, every predition you've made has been almost exactly correct!**

 **Chronicler of Imagined Time - Thank you, I'm glad you like it so much!**

 **Guest - Thank you for your answer!**

 **And without further ado I give you chapter eight of All That Glitters!**

* * *

Keeping her head down and her eyes half closed against the wind and rain Magpiepaw raced through the streets. The only sound she was aware of was the blood pounding in her ears and the ring of her own paws on the stone paved roads.

 _I'm going home, back to Mother, back to Dovepaw, back to Thrushpaw, back to Shadowclan._ She chanted the words over and over in her head until they seemed meaningless, a collection of sounds playing on repeat.

She slowed her pace, gazing at her surroundings; tall buildings surrounded her on all sides, hemming her in. She turned on the spot, hoping to see something she recognized, some landmark, anything. But there was nothing but unfamiliar streets and cold grey buildings.

She sat down heavily, a conversation she'd had with Mittens floating to the forefront of her mind. It hadn't been long after she'd regained consciousness, when she was still desperate to return home.

" _Why won't you take me home?" Magpiepaw asked impetuously._

" _Because you're too injured to make such a long journey, I'll take you back when you're healed and no sooner." Mittens replied calmly, turning away from the box to sort through some herbs._

" _This isn't fair! I'll go by myself if you don't take me!" Magpiepaw said, raising her voice, her fur fluffing out._

" _I doubt you'll have much success with that, it's easy to get lost if you don't know the way there." Mittens responded coldly._

Magpiepaw sighed, of course, Mittens was supposed to take her there and now it looked like Magpiepaw had lost her only chance of getting home. She stood up again and looked around, hoping to be able to retrace her steps and get back to the alley.

All the streets looked the same, identical stretches of stone broken only by the orange glow of a street lamp. Selecting one at random Magpiepaw set off along it, keeping close to the edge of the building in hopes of gaining some shelter.

"Hey!" Magpiepaw looked up at the call, searching the darkness beyond the puddle of light cast by a streetlight.

"Hello?" She said, tentatively, turning to face the direction she thought the voice had come from.

"What are you doing on our territory?" Asked a menacing voice, soon accompanied by a ragged tom.

He stalked into the circle of light and Magpiepaw took a step back, cowering slightly as he approached.

"I didn't know it was your territory." She stammered, her voice high pitched with fear. "I was just passing through, I'm lost."

"You're still on my turf and I intend to do something about that." He growled, allowing the light to catch his ivory claws as he unsheathed them.

"Wait, Butch, she's just a kit." Said a female voice from the darkness. "Are you really going to hurt a kit?"

A cream colored she cat padded over to Magpiepaw, standing between the apprentice and the angry tom.

"You're too soft Angel." Butch hissed but he sheathed his claws and stepped back, assuming a less aggressive stance.

"Hey sweetie, my name's Angel." Said the cream she cat softly, smiling at Magpiepaw who found herself returning the look. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Like I said, I'm lost, I was trying to get home but I think I took a wrong turn somewhere." Magpiepaw explained, shuffling her paws.

"It's okay," Angel laughed, "I can't count the number of times I've gotten lost and I've lived here all my life."

Magpiepaw found a chuckle rising in her own throat; Angel had one of those laughs that invited you to join in.

"What's your name kit?" Butch asked gruffly, obviously trying to be nice so he wouldn't upset Angel.

"It's Magpie, my name is Magpie." She answered without thinking.

"Well Magpie, why don't you spend the night with us and we'll help you find your home in the morning?" Angel offered, shooting Butch a warning look as the tom opened his mouth to object.

"That would be really nice if it's not too much trouble." Magpie responded politely, she'd rather not spend the night wandering the city.

"Come along then!" Angel trilled, leading Magpie over to a hole in a crumbling wall, the cream she cat slipped neatly through and Magpie followed.

From behind them she heard a sigh and then heavy pawsteps as Butch brought up the rear.

"So, where is your home?" Angel asked as she led Magpie deeper into the abandoned building.

"Umm, I live in an alley, it's on this big hill and you can see all the way to the forest from there." Magpie said, realizing how unhelpful her description was.

"Oh, well, do you live with anyone? I might know them." Angel asked giving Magpie a hopeful look.

"I live with a she cat called Mittens, she's black and white with green eyes." Magpie told Angel, remembering the anger in those green eyes when she'd last seen Mittens.

"I don't know anyone by that name but that description sounds a lot like Mitzy, you sure it isn't her?" Angel asked, a flicker of sadness in her eyes as she said the name.

"Mittens sometimes got called Mitzy by this tom who was always hanging around the alley." Magpie said, "he's sort of dark ginger with a white paw." She added as an afterthought, in case Angel knew him.

"That's Norway." Angel identified immediately, "if he called her Mitzy, I wonder." The she cat paused as though lost in thought. "No, it couldn't be."

Magpie eyed the she cat, wondering whether it was worth asking what she'd though of, ultimately she decided against it. Instead she asked, "Could you take me to the tom, Norway, I mean? He knows the way to the alley."

"Oh sure!" Angel purred, her blue eyes lighting up at the prospect of being able to help Magpie.

From behind them Butch cleared his throat, "Angel, I know you're excited but I thought I'd let you know that we just passed our den."

"Oops, sorry dear, I got so caught up in chatting with Magpie!" Angel apologized, bounding back to where the tom stood in front of a boarded up door.

"You go on in Angel, I'm going to see if I can find us anything to eat." Butch said, Angel padded up and touched her nose to his with purr.

"Thank you darling, stay safe!" She called before disappearing through a gap in the boards. "Come along Magpie!"

"Wait." Said Butch, stepping in front of the entrance. "If you harm a hair on her pelt I will make you wish you'd never been born, understand?" He asked, glaring at Magpie and flashing his teeth.

"Absolutely!" She responded, trying to keep her voice from squeaking.

The tom nodded with satisfaction and loped off along the hallway, Magpie watched him go until the darkness swallowed his white form before slipping through the gap.

She found herself inside a cozy room; it contained a lower level with a small pond fed by a pipe protruding form the wall. Above was a wooden platform accessible by a rotting ladder; it was from there that Angel's voice issued.

"Magpie?" She called, poking her head over the edge. "There you are! I was getting worried, Butch didn't scare you did he?" She asked.

"No, he just apologized for threatening me earlier." Magpie called, having a feeling that Butch would be in trouble if Angel knew what he'd really said.

"That's nice of him, you know, he acts tough but inside he's just a big softie. Why don't you come up, I'm sure you're tired form wandering the streets." She said, her head disappearing again.

Magpie eyes the ladder dubiously; it didn't look particularly sturdy, she doubted it would hold her weight and she wasn't particularly keen to test it.

"Don't worry about the ladder silly!" Angel called from above, "I promise it's sturdier than it looks!"

With that assurance Magpie took a deep breath and placed a paw on the first rung, slowly putting her weight onto the paw she lifted the next one up followed by the other two. Now with all four paws fully on the ladder the fluffy she cat looked down in surprise, wondering how the ladder hadn't broken yet.

She shrugged and began climbing again, one paw then the next, always on the alert for the sound of breaking wood.

When she reached the top Angel was fluffing up a pile of feathers and scraps of cloth in one corner. In the opposite corner was a larger nest with the clear indents of two cats imprinted on it.

"Here we go! I thought you'd never make it up!" Angel laughed, beckoning Magpie over to her and patting the nest with her paw. "You can sleep here tonight, I made nice and cozy for you!"

"Thank you, this is really nice." Magpie said, genuinely grateful to the cream she cat.

"It was nothing dear, just promise me something, okay?" Angel said, moving out of the way so Magpie could settle down in her nest. "Promise me you'll try to give the same kindness to others."

Magpie smiled up at her, "I will, I promise."

"Thank you." Angel purred, springing to her paws she crossed the platform to her own nest and flopped down in it. "Goodnight Magpie! Sweet dreams!"

"Goodnight Angel." Magpie purred back, laying her head down on the soft bedding and closing her eyes.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the latest update, don't forget to favorite, follow and review, feedback is always welcome!**

 **AOTD: I chose the name early on in** **development, since then the plot of the story has changed.**

 **QOTD: Should I change the title of this story? If so what do you think it should be?**

 **~ Feathers**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello my lovely readers and welcome back to All That Glitters, Angel plushie to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorited!**

 **Meowmix1028 - Glad you liked them! Be patient, all will be revealed in good time.**

 **Crazy Fennec Fox - Yes, yes I did!**

 **Swirlspot - You'll get backstory for them at some point, in the prequel/spinoff I'm planning! Also, nice interpretation of the title, I'm going to pretend that was my reasoning all along.**

 **I've talked enough, here's the chapter!**

* * *

Though her eyes were heavy with exhaustion and her body ached for the gentle embrace of sleep Magpie could not quiet her racing mind. She lay awake in the unfamiliar nest, staring up at the wooden ceiling upon which the rain pounded.

Magpie, why had she called herself that? She was Magpiepaw wasn't she?

Yet somehow the name had come easily to her lips, rolling off her tongue as though she'd been saying it all her life.

 _I just don't want to explain about the clans, that's all; Magpie is a more 'normal' name, for them at least._ She told herself, twisting into a more comfortable position.

 _Is it really?_ A small voice in the back of her head asked, a voice she'd silenced hundreds of times before, a voice that was almost always right.

 _Yes, of course it is! Why else would I use 'Magpie'?_ She protested, somewhat feebly, squashing the voice into a dusty corner of her mind but it was too late, the sensible, know-it-all voice had succeeded in sowing the seed of doubt.

Thoughts chased in restless circles through her brain, as she blindly groped for an answer to her question. Slowly, almost without her noticing it, that question changed into something much more serious.

 _Do I really want to go back home?_

 _Of course I do! My family is there, Mama and Dovepaw and Thrushpaw and all my friends, I can't just forget them._ She argued, picturing each smiling face and holding the images in her mind.

 _That's true but what about the family you've found here?_ The little voice asked from the shadows.

An image of Mittens' stern face replaced her family's and Magpie found herself remembering all the days she'd spent with the loner. The fights they'd had, the jokes they'd shared, the little moments, Mittens' mother-henning when she'd left Magpie alone for a while. Mittens laughing at her awful jokes or the scornful look that she saved for the worst ones. The two of them waiting out rainstorms in the box, telling stories to drown out the thunder.

Mittens was no longer just a grumpy loner, she was family, somewhere between a loving but stern mother and a disapproving older sister.

 _Can I really leave her?_ Magpie asked herself, this time without prompting from the voice. _Can I really do that to her?_ She though of how lonely Mittens looked sometimes, when she thought Magpie wasn't watching.

 _She doesn't want me back._

That single thought made up the little she cat's mind, she wasn't Magpie and this city wasn't her home. Her home was in Shadowclan, in the shade of the pine trees with her family and her clan.

She was Magpiepaw and she was going to go home.

By then the storm had passed and the clear sky was just starting lighten with the first signs of dawn and the new day. Magpiepaw made her way over to where Angel was sleeping, curled into a ball with her white tipped tail neatly over her nose.

The she cat looked so peaceful with her chest rising and falling gently with the rhythmic breath of someone who is deeply asleep. Magpiepaw almost didn't want to wake her up, almost, this was important, reaching out with a paw she gently poked Angel's side.

"Angel, wake up." Magpiepaw said, nudging the cream she cat again.

"What's up?" The loner asked, surprisingly alert for just before dawn.

"I've changed my mind, I'm sorry to wake you up so early but I really need to get home. Do you know the way to the forest?" The Shadowclan apprentice asked, stepping back to giver Angel some room.

"Yeah, of course I do." Angel replied, smoothing her pelt with a couple of quick licks. "You want to go there?" She asked, surprise showing in her blue eyes.

"That's right, I know it's a long way but I have to get there." Magpiepaw told the older she cat, shifting from foot to foot as she waited for the reply.

"Hey calm down, I believe you, you don't need to get your fur in a twist." Angel smiled, standing up and making her way to the edge of the platform. "It is a long way though so don't take forever coming down like you did going up." She teased, reaching the ground in a couple of leaps.

Magpiepaw followed a little more slowly, placing her paws carefully as she descended, unused to the feeling.

"Hurry up slowpoke!" Angel laughed, from where she was waiting.

"I'm trying, this isn't easy you know." Magpiepaw grumbled, jumping to the ground and giving her shoulders a few indignant licks.

Angel's response was an infuriatingly knowing smile, "here have something to eat first." She said, pushing a mouse towards Magpiepaw and leaning down to take a bite of the sparrow sitting at her paws.

"Thank you, I haven't eaten since yesterday." The black and white she cat acknowledged, gulping the small rodent down in a couple bites.

"No problem, this needed eating anyway. Shall we?" Angel asked, licking the traces of her own meal off her paws and padding towards the door.

Magpiepaw squeezed through the hole after the she cat and followed her through the winding corridors of the large building.

"I don't mean to pry," Angel began as they padded along, "but I was wondering; what made you change your mind so suddenly?"

"I don't know really, I guess I was just thinking about what I wanted and I realized that I wanted to go to the forest." Magpiepaw answered, knowing it wasn't a satisfactory explanation but hoping that Angel would press for details.

She didn't, seeming to sense that Magpiepaw didn't want to talk about it anymore and leaving the matter alone.

The rest of the way was filled with idle chatter about this and that, meaningless things like the weather and prey. In Magpiepaw's case anything would have been good, anything to take her mind off the odd feeling of guilt weighing on her heart.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to review, follow and favorite!**

 **QOTD: Would you want a prequel about Angel, Butch and Mittens?**

 **~ Feathers**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my dear readers and welcome back to All That Glitters! I'm so sorry for the unannounced hiatus, life was getting in the way and being generally annoying, however I'm back now and ready to get on with my stories.**

 **Big thank you to everyone who took the time to write a review, they motivate me and generally make me a very happy camper. Have a cookie you guys (::)**

 **Meow Loves Llamas - I'm glad you're so interested in them, I wish I'd had more time to develop them in this story. Oh well, I suppose that's what the prequel is for!**

 **Swirlspot - It was kind of a filler chapter but it was necessary for setting up the next part. I'm interested you wanted to see that, I'll keep that in mind when I'm writing the next chapter.**

 **Crazy Fennec Fox - I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about it! I really wanted to write it and to be honest I probably would have even if you guys said not to.**

 **And now without further ado, I give you chapter ten of All That Glitters!**

* * *

The first thing that Mittens thought of when she awoke, even before she'd opened her eyes, was Magpie. The cold space beside her set alarm bells ringing as soon as she became conscious, without Magpie's added body heat the chill air seeped through Mittens' sleek pelt making her shiver.

Blinking open her green eyes and looking blearily around Mittens took stock of the situation. She was lying on the ripped seat of an old car; from the space where the door had once been she could see an abandoned parking lot. Trash littered the gravel and a rusted chain link fence enclosed the entire area. With a grimace of disgust at her surroundings Mittens leaped out of the car, padding towards one of the many holes that riddled the fence.

The first light of the sun was just turning the sky a pearly pink and the dark clouds from the storm had begun to clear. Despite the swiftly warming air and the growing sunlight Mittens gave a shiver, wondering about her lost companion.

She'd said such awful things, how could she have been so cruel? Mittens' heart sank as the events of the night before replayed in her mind's eye. The argument, her yelling and Magpie, poor, sweet Magpie, doing her best to apologize. And then she'd left, just walked away without a backwards glance. Another shiver racked her body and Mittens stopped walking, looking around for somewhere she might be able to warm up.

Around her unfamiliar buildings loomed and a small tendril of fear began worming its way into Mittens' heart. She hadn't been lost in this city since she was just a kit; it was disconcerting to find herself in completely unfamiliar territory.

Spinning around Mittens peered through the buildings in hopes of catching a glimpse of the forest to help orientate herself.

The forest. Against her will a memory surfaced in her mind, the very first time she'd spoken to Magpie, she'd been so insistent on getting back to the forest. In the time they'd spent together Mittens had almost forgotten that someday Magpie would have to return to her clan, to her home. Almost managed to trick herself into believing that Magpie would stay forever, that it would never end.

Shaking her head to clear the wistful thoughts Mittens squared her shoulders. _You can daydream when you get home,_ she told herself sternly, _For now focus on working out where you are._

Noticing a bare skeleton of a building made of metal poles and plywood across the street Mittens crossed to it and began to climb. Reaching the top of the structure, which wobbled unsteadily beneath her paws, Mittens surveyed the city below her. A tangled patchwork spread out before her, streets and buildings forming a messy grid that seemed to stretch on forever. Her eyes combed the building tops for anything familiar, any of the landmarks that might be visible from her vantage point.

Taking great care she managed to turn herself around so she could see the view that had been behind her. The movement made the poles shake and for a few terrifying heartbeats Mittens stood paralyzed. When her perch stabilized she turned the rest of the way around, scanning the opposite side of the city.

In the far distance she could see a line of dark green fuzz that she knew to be the forest. Moving her gaze in a line from there she found a familiar tower caught her eye, it's spire looming black against the rising sun.

Mittens leaped down from the structure and set off once more, now armed with a solid sense of where she was going. As she walked she found that some of the buildings and streets seemed eerily familiar. A chill ran down her spine and her fur prickled as she felt someone or something's gaze fixed on her. She glanced over her shoulder on instinct but found no sign of any living creatures beside herself.

Despite the apparent emptiness of the area Mittens quickened her pace until she was almost running along the backstreets. The lack of other cats unsettled her, as did its strange familiarity. Something about it stirred her memory and she found her paws carrying her along routes she shouldn't have known. The cause was there, hidden in her mind, she could almost recall it but every time it eluded her.

With her mind focused on trying to remember her connection to the area and her paws on autopilot Mittens didn't noticed the scent of other cats filling the alleys and abandoned buildings. The sound of claws tapping on the paving stones around her snapped Mittens out of her reverie and she was horrified to find that she was cornered.

Three cats, two toms and a she cat, had managed to back her into the intersection of two walls without her noticing it. They were all larger than her and all three had visible scars, including one that made Mittens' blood run cold.

The crescent scar that each bore on their left shoulder could mean only one thing, they were part of one of the fiercest gangs the city had seen. The rumors surrounding them were numerous and increasingly gory, they also had a nasty habit of being true. As the trio advanced towards her Mittens cowered back, searching desperately for an escape route. There was no way she could take on all three at once and the Dark Moon weren't known for being merciful.

Her thoughts were shattered by the cold voice of the she cat, clearly the leader of the three. "What have we here? A little lost kitty cat?" She cooed, honey dripping off her words; though Mittens knew it was poison.

"I'm just passing through, I don't mean any harm." Mittens said, trying to mask her fear and keeping her voice level and calm.

"Well you picked a bad place to pass, we don't take to kindly to trespassers around here but I think you new that." The she cat said, her tone still honey as she flicked her tail under Mittens' chin. Stepping back swiftly she turned on her heels and bounded to the top of a wall, looking over her shoulder she called her last instructions; "Why don't you show Kitty how we treat unwelcome visitors?"

Before Mittens could get another word out the two toms leaped at her with claws unsheathed and teeth bared. Dropping into a defensive crouch, Mittens fought back to the best of her abilities, clawing and biting at any part she could reach. All the while her mind was racing, trying to find a solution to the situation she was in

Though she fought as hard as she could, using every trick and move she'd ever learned it wasn't long before the toms overwhelmed her. One of them was bleeding fairly heavily from a scratch on his flank and the other was missing part of one ear, despite that they were far better trained and much more powerful than Mittens was.

She cowered in a corner, trying to combat the spots dancing in front of her eyes and the lightheadedness that was swiftly overtaking her. The toms padded closer, until finally one of them stepped forward and raised his paw. On instinct Mittens closed her eyes as the paw came crashing down on her head with the force of a boulder. She felt her legs buckle and she collapsed to the ground, her vision going black as she lost consciousness.

As darkness overtook her vision she could faintly see a shape and hear a familiar voice calling out to her.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you did please follow, favorite and most importantly write a comment!**

 **I'm sad to say that Glitter is coming to a close, the next chapter will probably be the last one. This means that I'll be thinking of a new story idea soon, I'll post a poll about it on my profile sometime next week so please check that out.**

 **As sad as I am to be finishing this story this isn't the last you'll see of these characters, I asked if I should write a prequel and the answer was a resounding yes!**

 **Until the next time,**

 **~ Feathers**


	11. Chapter 11

**Greetings dear readers, I'm back with the final chapter of All That Glitters! I really hope you enjoyed this story, I had a great time writing it and I'm honestly sad to be finishing it.**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, I could never have done this without you!**

 **Swirlspot - All will be revealed! However I will make you wait for the prequel to explain pretty much everything.**

 **Flower - Thank you! That's exactly what I was going for there so I'm glad you thought so!**

 **Now, without further ado I give you the final chapter of All That Glitters!**

* * *

"Are you okay?" Angel asked softly, Magpiepaw looked up to find the cream she cat's concerned blue eyes fixed on her.

"Yeah, sorry." Magpiepaw said, wondering what she was apologizing for. "Are we far away now?" She asked.

"No, we're almost there." Angel told her, angling her ears to indicate a row of small buildings. "But really, you've been acting weird since this morning. I want to help you, just tell me what's wrong."

Magpiepaw felt her chest clench and her eyes prickle at the older she cat's warm tone. _How can you help me? I don't know what to do anymore! I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I have no idea._ Magpiepaw thought, ducking her head to hide the tears that were building in her eyes.

Blinking back the tears Magpiepaw lifted her head and smiled as convincingly as she could. "I'm fine honestly! You worry too much!" She purred. "Now, let's go! The forest won't come to us!"

"If you're sure." Angel agreed, her words filled with uncertainty as she bounded after Magpiepaw towards the forest.

Magpiepaw pulled ahead, concentrating on the pounding of her paws on the pavement that had once been so unfamiliar to her. She could hear Angel behind her and knew that the cream she cat was still watching her with those gentle, concerned blue eyes.

"Follow me." Angel said suddenly, turning off the path and into a small gap between two buildings.

Magpie slid through the narrow space, feeling the damp stone brush her fur as she passed between them. As Angel disappeared out of the passageway Magpiepaw quickened her step until she almost running.

Bursting into the open air the black and white she cat stopped short, gazing at the edge of the forest. The tops of the black pines brushed the sky, the shadows beneath the trees beckoned her and she obeyed.

"Magpie, wait!" Angel called, and Magpiepaw stopped short.

Looking back she found the cream colored she cat's eyes wide with fear and her fur fluffed out. Suddenly Magpiepaw heard a roaring sound and a blast of foul smelling air hit her as a car raced past.

Casting a grateful look at Angel, who had padded up to stand beside her, Magpiepaw peered into the road.

"Wait, I want to say goodbye!" Angel said, reaching out to touch noses with Magpiepaw, a sad smile on her face.

"Thank you so much Angel, thank you for everything." Magpiepaw said, dipping her head in a gesture of respect and gratitude.

Another car raced by and Magpiepaw found the way was clear, "Goodbye!" She said, then bounded across the road.

Once she was safely on the other side Magpiepaw looked back and saw Angel standing at the edge of the road. Catching Magpiepaw's eye the cream she cat waved her tail, then turned and disappeared over a fence.

Steeling herself Magpiepaw turned to the forest and found her self face to face with a Shadowclan patrol.

The leader of the patrol, a silver she cat who seemed oddly familiar to Magpiepaw, stepped forward. "Who are you and what business do you have here?" She asked coldly.

"Dovepaw?" Magpiepaw asked hesitantly, searching her sister's blue eyes for any sign of recognition.

"How did you know my name?" Dovepaw asked, looking at Magpiepaw closely. Then her expression changed from suspicion to shock and joy.

"Magpiepaw? Is that you?" She asked tentatively, gazing into Magpiepaw's blue eyes.

"Yes." Magpiepaw said, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Great Starclan! Magpiepaw, how? You were dead, the monster hit you." Dovepaw asked, tearing up as well.

"Doveheart? Who is this?" One of the patrol members asked.

"This is my sister, Magpiepaw." Doveheart said, looking up with shining smile despite the tears dampening her cheeks. "You remember her, don't you?"

Magpiepaw stood tall beside her sister, smiling at the patrol as one by one they realized who she was.

Suddenly she was surrounded by her clanmates, all greeting her and trying to tell her what had happened since she'd been gone. The air was filled with exclamations of happiness and surprise, her name was repeated over and over, passed around with wonder and joy.

"Magpie!" The call rang out from behind her, rising over the other voices and Magpiepaw whirled around.

Angel stood at the edge of the trees; by her side was the dark ginger tom who Mittens had always hated. Magpiepaw took a step towards the loners and felt her clanmates pull back from her.

"Magpiepaw, do you know them?" Doveheart asked quietly, standing beside her sister with unsheathed claws and raised hackles.

"Yes, yes I do. Please don't hurt them, just let me see what they want." Magpiepaw said, padding over to the alley cats. "Is everything okay?" She asked, looking between them.

"No, oh Magpie, it's not okay." Angel said, tears pouring down her cheeks and grief in her blue eyes.

"What happened?" Magpiepaw asked, fear building in her chest at the expressions on her friends' faces.

"It's Mitzy, she's got attacked. She's been asking for you." The ginger tom explained grimly.

"I-I..." Magpiepaw trailed off as she look back at her clanmates. They were all watching her with confused expressions, Doveheart stepped forward to stand beside Magpiepaw.

"If you need to go then go." She said with a sad smile, "You can always come back if you want to, even if it's just to visit."

"Thank you." Magpiepaw said, pressing her cheek against her sister's. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you, now go." Doveheart told her, "Just remember, there's always a nest for you in Shadowclan."

"I love you, tell Mother and Thrushpaw that I love them too!" Magpiepaw said before padding over to standing with Angel and the ginger tom.

"I will." Doveheart said, then added in a softer voice. "Magpie."

With one last look at her sister and the other Shadowclan cats Magpie turned to the loners. "I'm ready, let's go." She said.

* * *

The three cats raced through the city, slipping through backstreets and alleyways and dodging around cars and buildings.

As they ran Angel and the ginger tom explained the events leading up to their conversation in the forest.

"Mitzy somehow ended up in the Dark Moon's territory and a couple of their cats had found her. She was already unconscious by the time I got there but she'd certainly fought back. I don't think I could have driven them away if she hadn't started the job." The ginger tom, who had introduced himself as Norway, began.

"I took her back to my home and got her settled as best I could, she was really beaten up. She kept waking up and asking for you, I think she was delirious because she was apologizing to you like you were there."

"She was?" Magpie asked, feeling hope bloom inside her at the words. Mittens didn't hate her; she wanted her back, they could start again.

"Yeah, she was really insistent about it. She was even calling for you in her sleep when I left." Norway said with a small smile. "She really loves you, you know that?"

Magpie simply nodded, feeling impossibly light and joyful, as though a ray of warm sunlight had filled her body. Everything was going to be fine.

"She'll be okay, right?" Magpie asked, remembering that Mittens was injured.

"I hope so, Norway and I both know how to patch up wounds, it's not guaranteed but she should be fine in a few moons." Angel said with her gentle, warm smile. "She just needs to be looked after."

Magpie was at a loss for words, all she could do was nod and smile. The tears had dried and as the walled garden where Norway lived came into sight she realized that this was where she belonged.

The three cats leaped over the wall, following the winding pathways to a small shed at the edge of the garden.

Stepping through the slightly open door Magpie blinked in the dim light. A single beam of sunlight was shining in through a small window, the golden light resting on the form of a sleeping she cat.

As she padded over to black and white loner Magpie felt warmth and affection bubble in her chest.

Mittens green eyes fluttered open and focused on Magpie, a small smile formed on the older she cat's face.

"Hey kit." She said softly.

* * *

 **And there you have it! My first complete story, I'm really going to miss these characters now that I'm done. I hope you guys loved it as much as I did, if you did please follow, favorite and write a quick review telling me what you thought of it!**

 **I mentioned a poll in the last chapter and I'm happy to say that it is officially up so** **please go vote on it!**

 **QOTD - Should I write an epilogue? Just to clear a couple things up?**

 **Thank you again for reading!**

 **~ Feathers**


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